Repent and Obey - Revival Pt 4

Today's message is pretty simple. All week, as I've been preparing for our lesson today, God just began to show me that he's going to do something. In his room today.

And so before I even give a small bit of what God gave me, or if you think you're going not want to miss this moment, I want to there's a couple of words that God has given our church members in, and it's already been confirmed already. And so I'll let you say what God gave us today. I really feel like there's some people here who have a deeper level of suffering and shame, and it's hard to get down to that.

But God was saying, I think, in worship to say a small yes. A very small yes. I don't know who that would be for. But if you're in something, even something you chose last week and you're like me and you have been battling a lot of decisions and choices and it's been a difficult season for you and you've done some things God said, Just say that little yes to him.

And you might be afraid of what that's going to open up because it will open up something. But if you say that, yes, he will heal. He will heal that. He will heal it. And there are people here who can pray with you, as you say that. Yes, Becca, you look, I'm going up. We're going as well. So you're.

Yes, it's connected to something else. And last week we had an amazing speaker, Sharon, and she came up and she spoke. Our church has been in a season of revival, and although that revival just broke out in our spirit, Asbury University revival has been breaking out at this church since the beginning of this year. And so for our guests who are here for the first time today, I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry because I'm not going to apologize for what God is doing in the midst of his people.

So when God gave me a word for our church this year, he said, Ryan, it is revival. My God, what is what is the word that you want for our church? How do you want us to begin to model what we're going to do day after day, week after week, month after month for the year 2023? He said, Ryan, tell my people it is the year for revival and so when we say yes to God, we have to begin to release and begin to remember that revival starts with your obedience.

That was the word that we got last week. And so my question for you today is that are you obedient? Have you been obedient to what God has been calling you to do, to save it, to go? Because partial obedience is still disobedience. Come on, Church. When you partially do something that God has told you to fully commit yourself to.

You are still being this o me.

And so when we're here worshiping as freely as we did this morning, remember that you worship for an audience of one, that your worship itself belongs to an audience of one and no one else. Becca fell a little bit more this morning when I was when I came to worship, the Lord started showing me this picture. And I mean, we have an amazing worship team, right?

Let's give it up for the worship team. They're amazing. So can you guys show me where the worship team is? Can you just point. Where's the worship team? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And let me say it again. Yes, yes, yes. Because this is not the only worship team. Because if you guys pointed up here and said this is the worship team and that's not, then that would mean that's a different team.

And that's not a different team, is it? We are one team. They are the worship team and they have prepared and they know the songs, but it is equally our responsibility to worship. We bring a sacrifice of praise. We bring kneeling at the altar. We bring tears, we bring praying for our friend, We bring waving the flags. We are one worship team.

We worship one God. This is not the team. And that's a different team, though We are one team, we are one church and he has made us one like he is like the father and the spirit and the son are one. We are one team and they have a responsibility. They come and practice and we have a responsibility in our homes, in our cars.

We worship, we practice, we practice, and we get stronger during the week. And then when we come together, they bring what they practice and we bring what we practice. And we're one we're one team. They are up here singing that you are no less the worship team than they are. We are because we are all worshiping God. We are worshiping the Savior, we are worshiping the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who are worthy of praise for all eternity.

Holy, holy, holy. We are one team. And I just want to remind you that even if you're in a seat, get a hold of it. I dare you. But we we have just as much responsibility as we don't get to come in here and just be like, Oh, we're going to listen to some beautiful music. Know listen to some beautiful music.

Now you have a responsibility. I need your worship just as much as I need because I need it. Because when we worship, God can't stay away from us. He is attracted to our worship and he will come and seek those who worship him in spirit and truth. So if he comes, don't you think by default your neighbor is going to be affected if you are worshiping, don't you think the person beside you might get healed?

You have a responsibility. We have a responsibility. I have a responsibility. I'm not leaving it in the seat. I'm not coming to watch something or observe something. I'm coming to be part of something. So we are part of one worship team. We are one church and we see are seeing glimpses of revival. DRC, I see it and it's here and it makes me laugh.

It makes me laugh because it's so good and I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. Some of go through my message in 5 minutes because I don't want to miss what God is doing right now. Second Chronicles tells us Chapter seven verse 14 says this If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my faith and turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Then, he says, Only then will my eyes be open to see it, My ears be open to hear. And so if my people, that means you and I, if we will humble ourselves today, seek him and pray that he will hear and see us because we experience true revival. To really understand what true revival is, it's repositioning yourself to get the power in the presence of God before you, right?

That's what revival is all about, that you have the power and the presence of God. That is what revival is. But there's a prerequisite for that. Let me tell you what this is. That prerequisite comes out of Matthew chapter four, and it's only one verse. You know what that is? It was Jesus first sermon, the very first time that he's ever preached.

It was John Baptist sermon. John the Baptist said this, and Jesus said this. He said this, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. That was it. John the Baptist did have a three point sermon. He didn't have any illustrations. He preached repair it for the kingdom of heaven is there. That's all he said. 365 days out of the year is to repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.

And this is what he said also, he said in Luke, If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them. But if they repent, forgive them. See that repentance is connected to revival, he repeated, is not an emotion. It is a decision.

Let me say that again. Write it down and take a picture of it. Tweet it, put it on Snapchat, Instagram and all of that. Repentance is not an emotion. It is a decision. Let me tell you. Second Chronicles wrote that if you seek my faith and turn from my wicked ways, it's all about possession. It's all about being disciplined.

If I'm in a position where I'm walking in sin, I'm having conversations and desires that does not honor God, he says, Pray, seek and turn. It's a net change in a position that you posture yourself for true repentance. King David, one of the greatest kings in the Bible row, Psalm 51. This is the same King David who lusted after Bathsheba, sitting her husband on the front line because he wanted that woman for himself.

He sent her husband on a front line to fight a battle to ensure that he would die because David went and had an extramarital affair with this woman. He died. But he also. This is David. David Rosen, 51, is 51. He repented. Let me tell you what that psalm says. He says, Have mercy on me. Oh, God. According to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, he says, please blot out my transgressions, Wash away all of my iniquities.

It clears me from my sin for know my transgressions. I know the things that I've done in the past does not please you. And my sins is always before you. Against you. I have sinned and done what was evil in your sight. So your verdict is right for me and justifies to be judge. Then he says this verse to create in me a clean heart of God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

That moment where King David knew that he missed the mark. And in order for him to experience revival relationship of restoration with God, he knew that he had to repent. So in short, revival requires your obedience. Revival requires your repentance, and repentance is not an emotion. It's a decision. So my asking, how do you begin to fill in that flame, the fire that lies within you, Right, Jeremiah?

See, it was like fire caught up in my bones. He's talking about the Holy Spirit. God, that's this. But what do you do when that fire is dwindling out? How do you begin to fear that flame so that we can be a bigger fire? You have to add something to it. And so today I'm asking you to lay down and add that list to that fire that you had, that desire that is not please God to that fire, to fuel that fire and those ways that you have been going towards that God does not like.

Add that to the fire. That's how you fanned the flame. That's how you add to the fire of God that has been quenched. So actually today, are you willing to repent? Are you willing to go before God is the God? I missed the mark. I'm sorry. That addiction, that conversation by you on my phone, those desires lie and cheat and stealing, whatever it may be.

Are you willing to repent of your ways so you can experience true revival? So our worship team is going to close out with a song that says Have your way, and I'm going be the first to repent before you because I haven't given God all that I'm supposed to give him. Yes, I'm the pastor of the church. You know, you guys may look at me.

I'm supposed to be holy, but you know what? I'm a man to derive from Adam. Just like all of us. There's some things I got to say. Ryan, I need you to give up some things. Even during a season of fasting that we've been in, God is calling me to go to different places, and God is calling you to be in different places to So when you repent before God today, so that way you can truly experience a revival that God wants to do in your life.

John Wesley once said this. He said, I want to catch on fire, for God's sake, in such a way that people will come from miles around to watch me burn. That's the type of passion we need for Christ that we're so on fire for God. Your testimony, your your encounter, your experience of the Holy Spirit, that you're so on fire for God that people will come around from miles away to watch you better and better.

Yet you will be the light in the darkness of the world. We have been called to be the light in the darkness. That's why we should be set afire. And so I asked you if you've got some business to do with God today. You can come to the altar, you can have a see, but get right with God.

Lay down and repent. Remain. Allow God to have his way with you today, as you stand, our worship team is going to take us in a place where we just lay down our burden is our care and all that we have for God. We're just going to see God. Have your way, have your way. So before we sing this song yesterday, the Holy Spirit just started speaking like, I don't even know what was happening.

All I know is I went to my notes and my phone and I just started jotting stuff down because it was just coming in. I spoke, God, what is? So Ryan's been talking about revival. He's been giving us God's word he's been telling us for It is hard out about us giving God our yes in our opinions. So I said, God, My answer is yes.

But the second part to that was, Lord, what did you requiring of me? What more are you requiring of me now?

Sometimes we're so ready to go and do that we haven't even become in that we would just be who he called us to be. Drawing closer to the one stretched his arms, he took every lash slash of us torn from his body. For you and for me. That road he walked, we would never. We will never, ever see that suffering.

We will never come close to seeing that suffering that he's suffered for us. So what more is he requiring of you? Whatever it is, I'm not talking about going and being I'm not talking about going somewhere, going and doing. I'm talking about becoming. What is he requiring of us that we become more like him? Because before we can go and do anything, we got to be like him and we got to seek to be like him.

What does that mean laying down? What does that mean? Sacrificing? Because I guarantee you it will not even compare to the ultimate sacrifice. It will not even come close to that. So I'm not talking about meeting man's standards. I'm talking about meeting God's standards. And the only way we know that is we got to spend time with him.

We got to get in his word. We got to get in his presence, not just here on Sundays, but every day find a way to get in his presence, because this Holy Spirit will tell us what to do. He gives us direction. Yes. No. Turn around. Go this way. He does it. He absolutely does it. If we are looking for it, if we are looking for it, if we are looking for him, whatever it is he is requiring of us, we need to do.

And he brought the scripture and I think I've shared this in in the women's Bible study. Who was Zacharias was visited by the angel about John. He told him his lips to touch no one. Was it because drinking was a sin? No. Jesus turned water into wine. Are we to get drunk? Absolutely not. Anything overdone is a sin.

And if I overeat, it's a sin. Anything I want to do if I'm being lazy, puts heart into something. It's a sin. But because of the call on his life, he said his Lipschitz that No. Why? So that's what I mean. God said, that's not what your neighbor says is okay. But what is God saying to you about what is okay for your life?

That's where the fine line is, because that's where you got to walk. Where he tells you to walk. Not one man tells you to walk, but what is he say? You might say, Oh, well, listen to this music. It's okay. What is God saying about it? What is he saying about it? It's the little things I'm telling you that's going to make all the difference.

Why you talked about it. We got to position ourselves and we got to turn. We got to turn.